Get Aggressive with Testing

Are you ready to get aggressive with your test strategy? Changing hardware requires more aggressive testing. The zero-defect strategy companies aim for generally helps set ambitious goals for defect detection, but they never reach the goal completely, and there is no single inspection or testing system that can meet the needs of every manufacturing environment.Show/Hide

To ensure test success, do you use a combination of design for manufacturing (DFM) and test (DFT)? What about data collection/analysis, automated optical inspection (AOI), in-circuit testing (ICT), and functional tests? How do you develop an effective test strategy that considers the critical stages along the manufacturing process?

The error that most manufacturers make is in placing the quality control at the end of the process hoping to cull out all of the defective product. This never works and it never will. The only effective Zero-Defect program that works is one where the quality is controlled at strategic points along the process. If this is established correctly, there is no need for a QC department at the end of the process, except perhaps for verification of the QC functions built into the process by means of an effective sampling plan.

The problem is that most manufacturers are not willing to invest in the QC along the way. Instead, they simply try to push as much raw material through process as possible and then complain about the outcome when the process tanks. It is the equivalent to being a poor sport. If you want a truly effective strategy that limits defects and provides a holistic approach to testing and tolerances, it’s best to look at the entire manufacturing line and not just the end result.